Railways still on deficit track, NA told

The deficit of Pakistan Railways stood at Rs26.993 billion on June 30, 2016 while expenditure of the organisation soared from Rs48.535 billion in 2012-13 to Rs63.154 billion during 2015-16. Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique informed this to National Assembly in written response to a question Thursday during the Question Hour.
He said the deficit of Pakistan Railways stood at Rs30.504 billion on June 30, 2013 when the present government assumed the charge and the same has been brought down to Rs26.993 billion on June 30, 2016 ie a reduction of Rs3.511 billion over a period of three years.
This is despite the fact that expenditure has risen from Rs48.535 billion in 2012-13 to Rs63.154 billion during 2015-16, he said, adding the increase in expenditure is mainly due to increase in pay, pension and allowances as a result of budget announcements and cannot be curtailed.
The minister also informed the House about different steps that his ministry has initiated to reduce deficit of Pakistan Railways. He said that as a result of aggressive marketing, the revenue increased to Rs365,81.864 million in the year 2015-2016 as against Rs18,069.546 millions in the year 2012-13, thus, registering a net gain of Rs18512.318 million in three years.
Passenger sector of Pakistan Railways earned Rs20,871. 630 million during the year 2015-2016 as compared to Rs12,982.218 million in the 2012-13, thus registering a growth Rs7889.412 million in three years, he said.
The minister informed the House that freight sector of the railways earned Rs10,585.903 million during the year 2015-2016 as compared to Rs1,673.661 million in the year 2012-13, thus registering a growth of Rs8,912.242 (532.500%) in three years.
Pakistan Railways managed to load 243,794 wagons of different commodities during the year 2015-2016 as compared to 46,640 wagons in the year 2012-13, thus, registering an increase of 26.24 per cent, he said. To another question, Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Muhammad Ashiq Hussain informed the House that Pakistan Railways has incurred Rs451.256 million on account of repair, renovation and reconstruction of railway stations during the tenure of the present government.
He said reconstruction of Bahawalpur, Okara, Sahiwal, Raiwind, Narowal, Nankana Sahib and Hasanabdal stations is in progress while 31 other stations are under finalisation for renovation and provision of basic passenger amenities.
Pakistan Railways has developed software and has made ticketing and reservation through e-ticketing system initially for 36 trains with effect from October last year, he said.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad informed the House that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mall projects include Individual Financial Assistance, Pakistan Sweet Homes, Child Support Programme and Thalassemia Centre.
He said presently Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal is running 35 Pakistan Sweet Homes which cater to the orphan children throughout the country including AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. He pointed out that each centre accommodates one hundred orphan children.
Children are kept in home like environment with the provision of boarding facility, food and clothing. He said they are also being provided with quality education in private schools, he said.
Minister of State for Education Muhammad Balighur Rehman informed the House that Higher Education Commission (HEC) charges attestation fee of Rs800 per leaf for original and Rs500 per leaf for photocopy document for degree and transcript verification.
He said the government is spending Rs91 billion on the higher education during the current financial year.